This invention relates to an improved adjustable V-belt for use in automotive vehicles.
Military vehicles powered by conventional combustion engines require the use of a belt to connect the pulleys on various powered components to a crankshaft pulley. With most conventional vehicles it is impossible to operate the vehicle for any substantial period of time once the belt breaks. In fact, operation of the vehicle without the belt can easily cause overheating and further may result in the vehicle batteries being discharged. Thus when a belt breaks, the vehicle must either be towed or a new fan belt installed. Even if a new fan belt of the right size is available, installation of the fan belt in most vehicles requires that one of the pulleys be moved on an adjustable bracket in order to install the belt on the pulleys to be connected. The pulleys must then be moved to their original position and locked in place. Such an operation requires both tools and training making installation of a new belt time-consuming. Also, a belt of the proper size is necessary. Since each vehicle requires a different size belt, a large inventory of different emergency belts is required. This also prevents the use of one vehicle's belt on a different vehicle.
The present adjustable belt overcomes problems with prior art by providing a belt that is adaptable to a wide range of conventional vehicles employing a belt drive system. It can be readily installed without the need for tools to move brackets or otherwise adjust fasteners or other mechanical parts. The belt is easily adaptable to different sizes and is configured so that it may be easily removed for replacement by a permanent belt when available.
For the military this type of belt is particularly desirable since it can be used with the wide variety of different vehicles found in the military fleet. It can also be easily installed by personnel not trained in vehicle repair and mechanics without using tools., Also, the belt of this invention can be quickly installed which is particularly important for military vehicles that may need to be repaired to an operational condition rapidly and under conditions of grave danger.